Breaking Gravity
Memories from the road...
Note: Today on Juke, we’re going to go back in time a bit. When Paul and I first got to know each other, roughly 15 years ago, he was submitting pieces like this one for my magazine. They were always photos and captions, usually captured somewhere out west. Over the course of years, the captions grew longer and the pieces turned into full essays, and eventually I started Juke and, etcetera, etcetera, we end up at today. But a few years ago, he turned those pieces—the photos and captions—into a book called Breaking Gravity (available to buy here) and, whenever I open that book, I’m reminded of how great those early pieces were. Simple, distilled moments from the road. Today, I’m pleased to share a handful of my favorites with you… —Tonya M
Nevada - 2000
I have always loved this photo and may need to go back to see if the sign still exists. It’s not far from Baker, Nevada, which is the “Gateway to Great Basin National Park,” which is not from from Ely, Nevada, which is not that close to much else. I could go on about my experiences with Ely, and I probably should, but not here and not now. Anyway, someone just said “whoa” in a post online and I thought “it’s time to go looking for that photo,” so here it is. This sign obviously exists for a reason. One fast, two-lane road dead-ends into another one and this sign is across from the “T” where it dead-ends. I think it’s more effective than a simple “Stop” sign, but what do I know? Clearly, a lot of love went into the making of this sign. Let’s hope there is not a tragic story behind it.
Pie Town, New Mexico - 2007
The one and only, the famous and immortal Pie Town, in New Mexico. The first time I took Highway 60, I remember being curious about Pie Town, which was about an hour ahead of me when I looked at the road atlas. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that the main joint in town sold pie. I’m a little dim that way. I had thought it was just a name.
Many small towns out west have pie places. The most memorable I can recall was in Salmon, Idaho, where I once got a slice of something called “Mile High Blueberry Pie” that sent me into raptures. Nothing has ever really come close to that and I need to hit Salmon again to find that place, if it’s still there. When I hit Pie Town, I was on my way to the Very Large Array, a radio astronomy observatory in that big, empty middle of New Mexico. I was ready for some pie, although I did not know it at the time.
Since that first stop, I have come through Pie Town many times. The big, painted sheet metal Thunderbird sign gets me every time. If you stop at this cafe, which is one of the two or three businesses in Pie Town, you will be rewarded with some fine pie. It’s worth taking this stretch of U.S. 60, about 65 miles west of Socorro, for that alone. Life is too short to pass up a good piece of pie.
Southern Louisiana - 2014
This is on US Highway 90, south west of New Orleans, in Cajun country. Little signs that say “FUT49” (Future 49) are on the local Interstate shields. This means that the state and the federal government hope to one day upgrade this significant highway and join it with the Interstate system. There must be a good financial reason, similar to enticing a Wal-Mart and a Starbucks to open in your town. There have been signs on Route 17 in New York State saying “Fut 86” for so long that the red and blue shields have faded. It reminds me of poring over road atlases in the 1960s and seeing the dotted lines of future interstate routes. I like it down here. I did not sample the world-renowned Ponchatoula strawberries, but I may next time. It always feels like I have landed in another country when I’m in this part of Louisiana.
Indio, California - 1998
Indio keeps getting bigger and bigger. That’s my impression every time I pass through. I don’t remember snapping this photo. I usually remember taking a photo, even though my memory in other parts of life can be fuzzy. I don’t remember taking this shot, though. I can safely say that I used a tripod, as it was shot on slow film at night and I had to use a tripod in those days for a shot like this. My modus operandi then - and now - was to slowly roll through a town and find the old services strip before I got a room. I would then case it, driving up and down the length of it. If it was a good strip with good signs, I would stop and jump out of the car every few hundred yards with my tripod, then shoot. I imagine that’s how I ended up with this shot. I do not recall staying in Indio, but this photo looks pretty dark and I don’t like to drive late at night, so I may have slept here. Not that these details are crucial. More interesting to me is the name - did someone have a thing for Hawaii? That would be my bet. And the well-preserved sign. It probably has not been altered for 50 years. As always, the word “Kitchenettes” makes me happy.
Gerlach, Nevada - 2001
Grumpy’s Texaco, before it became Grumpy’s Shell. Actually, “Grumpy” is nowhere to be found on the signage, but that’s what the locals called it. Grumpy is the man you would see, driving out to meet you in his tow truck, if you got stuck on the playa. I had a low-level vendetta with him for years. He was unaware of this. It began when I pulled in for gas one day and asked him a question. As with most good vendettas, I have long-since forgotten what the question was or what the response was, but I do remember that he said something offhanded and I instantly took offense. There are few gas stations up there, but there was one in Empire, 7 miles away, and I would top off in Empire every time I went to Gerlach for the next few years. I finally got gas again one day from Grumpy. Perhaps Empire was closed. Either way, he was pleasant as can be and I let bygones be bygones. The truth is, I had let him rent space in my head for years and he was oblivious to it. I took this shot while staying at Bruno’s Motel one quiet, windy desert night.
These photos and the accompanying captions appeared in the book Breaking Gravity, available here.
Paul Vlachos is a writer, photographer and filmmaker. He was born in New York City, where he currently lives. He is the author of “The Space Age Now,” released in 2020, “Breaking Gravity” in 2021, and 2023’s “Exit Culture.”
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Yay! Thanks, Tonya, for the return of these gorgeous vintage vignettes. The photos stand alone as objects of unique beauty & are also perfect delivery systems for Paul's humane, witty observations. I would sell my soul to know what Grumpy initially said to make such a crummy first impression, but I am glad it all smoothed out into a kinder memory. :-)
This was a fine read. Thanks. I once spent a few months in Ely working on an oil exploration crew back in the 80s. I look forward to your musings so we can compare notes.